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Characterising the online weapons trafficking on cryptomarkets.

Damien Rhumorbarbe1, Denis Werner1, Quentin Gilliéron1

  • 1Ecole des Sciences Criminelles, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Forensic Science International
|December 16, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Online weapons trafficking is limited on cryptomarkets, with firearms comprising only 25% of listings. Analysis revealed vendor overlap across platforms, suggesting sophisticated operations within this niche illicit market.

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Area of Science:

  • Criminology
  • Cybersecurity
  • Digital Forensics

Background:

  • Cryptomarkets have emerged as platforms for illicit trade, including weapons.
  • Understanding the scale and nature of online weapons trafficking is crucial for law enforcement and security.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of the online trafficking of weapons on cryptomarkets.
  • To analyze the types of weapons listed and identify vendor networks.
  • To compare the prevalence of weapons trafficking with other illicit goods.

Main Methods:

  • Manual duplication of weapon-related webpages from nine cryptomarkets in February 2016.
  • Extraction of data on weapon listings and vendor profiles.
  • Inference of vendor relationships through digital traces and content similarity analysis.
Keywords:
AmmunitionDarknet marketsDigital tracesFirearmsForensic intelligenceInternet traces

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Main Results:

  • Weapons trafficking is concentrated on two major cryptomarkets and represents a small fraction of overall illicit trade.
  • Firearms constitute approximately 25% of weapon listings, with non-lethal and melee weapons being more prevalent (around 46%).
  • Analysis identified 96 vendor profiles, with evidence suggesting some vendors operate across multiple cryptomarkets.

Conclusions:

  • Online weapons trafficking on cryptomarkets is limited in scope compared to other illicit goods.
  • Vendor activity across different platforms indicates a degree of organization within this illicit trade.
  • Further research is needed to fully comprehend the dynamics of online weapons markets.